The invention is based on a device for pivotally connecting a wiper blade to a wiper. In a known device of this type (DE 24 58 29 2 A)xe2x80x94which has also clearly been previously usedxe2x80x94the pivot bolt protrudes laterally from the wiper arm. The pivot bolt bearing toward the wiper blade side is a plug receptacle for the pivot bolt and the pivot bolt is inserted into it. In order to secure the operating position between the wiper blade and wiper arm, the pivot bolt is provided with a continuous detent groove disposed on its outer circumference in which a detent spring engages in detent fashion. There are no further indications as to the disposition and embodiment of the connecting device. In the device that has clearly been previously used, the pivot bolt bearing is constituted by a lateral bore in the main bracket of a support bracket frame, which grasps the wiper strip, is made up of a number of parts, and thus has a high structural height. A device of this kind, however, is not possible when the wiper strip is intended to be held by a support element as has been disclosed, for example, in DE 196 27 115 A1 and which decisively contributes to a low structural height of the wiper blade.
In the connecting device according to the invention, it is possible to utilize the advantages of the low structural height of the wiper blade made possible by the band-like support element even if the pivot bold of the connecting device is disposed on the wiper arm. The edge strips of the support element permit an operationally reliable attachment of the coupling element to the upper band surface of the support element remote from the window.
In order to achieve a simple, long-lasting connection between the wiper strip and support element, in an improvement of the concept of the invention, the support element has two support strips which are disposed in longitudinal grooves of the wiper strip and at least over a longitudinal section, protrude from their longitudinal grooves with edge strips that are engaged by the securing means of the coupling element.
A simple mounting of the pivot bolt disposed on the wiper arm in its pivot bolt bearing situated toward the wiper blade side is achieved if the coupling element is divided in a plane disposed at least approximately parallel to the window, if the dividing plane intersects the pivot bolt bearing, and if in addition, the two coupling element halves are detachably connected to each other.
For the sake of further simplifying assembly, the pivot bolt bearing, in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade, is disposed in an end section of the coupling element and the two coupling element halves are connected to one another and of one piece with one another by means of a film hinge in the vicinity of the pivot bolt bearing. As a result, the two complementary coupling element halves are already in a proper mounting position so that after the insertion of the wiper arm pivot bolt into the one half, the other half merely needs to be folded onto the other half.
A simple and operationally reliable connection of the coupling element to the wiper blade is achieved by virtue of the fact that with regard to the position of the dividing plane in relation to the window, the lower half of the coupling element encompasses the longitudinal outer edges of the edge strips of the support element with securing claws that constitute securing means.
If in addition, two securing claws disposed spaced apart from each other engage each edge strip of the support element, a stable connection is produced between the support element and the coupling element which withstands even the high long-term strain occurring there.
If, with regard to the position of the dividing plane in relation to the window, the upper half of the coupling element is provided with elastically deflectable detent hooks which traverse the longitudinal outer edges of the edge strips and cooperate in detent fashion with the lower band surface of the support element, the upper half of the coupling element is simply secured in its closed position in which the pivot bolt is completely enclosed.
So that a slim construction of the coupling element can be achieved, the detent hooks of the upper half of the coupling element are disposed between the securing hooks of the lower half. The detent hooks therefore do not have to overlap the securing hooks.
In another embodiment of the invention, at least in the vicinity of the pivot bolt, the wiper arm has two walls spaced apart from and parallel to each other, which are aligned protruding toward the window, each of which secures an end of the pivot bolt, and the distance between the walls is matched to the width of the coupling element. This produces a favorable, low-play guidance of the wiper blade between the walls of the wiper arm, which is an important requirement for the desired smooth wiper operation.
If the wiper blade has with a wind deflecting strip that extends beyond the upper band surface of the support element, in a modification of the concept of the invention, the coupling element is disposed in a recess in the wind deflecting strip and the upper half of the coupling element is provided with an extension whose cross section at least approximates the cross section of the wind deflecting strip. As a result, the wind deflecting strip is also optically extended in the vicinity of the connecting device and promptly achieves the effect expected from the wind deflecting strip with regard to the distribution of the wiper blade pressure at higher driving speeds, even in the center region of the wiper blade, i.e. in the vicinity of the recess. Therefore the recess does not have a negative impact on the pressure distribution of the wiper strip on the window to be wiped.
Suitably for the realization of its various functions, the coupling element is made of an elastic plastic.